


Collateral Damage

by Rohansleepover



Category: Durarara!!
Genre: 6 years later to be precise, Canon-Typical Violence, Multi, Post-Series, tags will be added as I go along sorry :v
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-11
Updated: 2017-08-21
Packaged: 2018-12-01 01:09:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11475438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rohansleepover/pseuds/Rohansleepover
Summary: 6 years later, Vorona comes back to Ikebukuro.6 years later, Akane is making her way through high school.6 years later, gangs and mafia have not deserted the city...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Wow that title + description are cheesey forgive me
> 
> If you're here for the romance, it'll very much be In The Background. It's there, it's just not the main focus of the story!
> 
> This is completely unbeta'd and it's like 1 a.m so if I messed up don't hesitate :v

_"To actually experience the joy of existing in this world, that is my desire."_

***

6 years ago, those were the words she told Shizuo and Tom, probably the first people she ever befriended of her own will and two of the people for whom she held the most respect. 6 years, and now she was finally returning to Japan. The return to Russia had been arduous and finding how to best deal with her father had taken a toll on her emotionally, but Vorona was now free of it all, and she could finally make good on her words.

As the taxi passes through the streets of Tokyo towards Shizuo and Tom's apartment, Vorona can't help but notice the small changes. Though she hadn't spent very long in the city for her mission, it had grown on her. The atmosphere had altered somewhat. Perhaps it is simply the pollution that has grown with the city, or the new fashion trends that have overtaken various segments of the population. Or maybe it's just her, who is now able to drink in the city fully, and consider calling it her new home, at least for a while.

Deep in the residential areas of Ikebukuro, the taxi pulls over. The apartment building Vorona stands in front of once the taxi is paid for is nondescript, but just looking at it makes her heart beat a little faster. After all, it's the building that will see her beginnings as a new person.

"Vorona!"

She hears a voice call out to her and turns to see Tom jogging lightly towards her, waving and smiling. She smiles and offers a small wave back as he nears her and stops.

"I hope you weren't waiting out here for too long? I'm sorry we couldn't welcome you at the airport, but work runs late and you can imagine that we don't even want to try owning a car in this damn city," Tom apologizes.

Vorona shakes her head. "It is perfectly understandable, Tanaka, and besides, after such a long absence, it would have been rude of me to ask you to come pick me up. You are already being kind enough to take me in."

Tom frowns as he opens the main door and leads her to the elevator. "You can call me Tom, you know. And this is what friends are for, regardless of how much time has passed."

The elevator brings them to the third floor, and just a few steps down the hall brings them to the door marked "Heiwajima -- Tanaka". Following Tom inside, and just beyond the genkan, lies a relatively bare living room, illuminated by a large window. The couch looks comfortable enough, and the coffee table is covered in newspapers and a surprisingly clean ashtray. The flatscreen TV looks new, and the floor pillows stored underneath it look plush and comfortable. The kitchen takes up a corner of the living room, and two doors lead to the bedrooms.

"That one was Shizuo's," Tom points to one of them, "but he insisted you take it up for the duration of your stay. And don't worry," he interrupts Vorona, smiling, before she can protest, "he usually ends up falling asleep on the sofa anyway, so it's nothing new for him. I'll let you settle in while I get started on dinner."

"I do not have many items to put away, I will be out very soon to help you out."

Tom hums in response and Vorona is left to unpack her lone suitcase as the smell of meat being prepared begins to waft through the apartment. She didn't lie when she said that she didn't have much to put away, but she takes her time, observing the space that used to be Shizuo's.

Speaking of whom, as Vorona is folding away her last shirt, the front door opens and a muffled "I'm home" is greeted by an equally muffled "welcome back". She steps out of the bedroom to also greet the man and hesitates when she sees Shizuo resting his chin on Tom's shoulder, having wrapped his arms around his waist. However, Shizuo steps back and notices her.

"Hi," he says, heading towards her, completely unfazed at having been caught in a display of affection, "welcome back."

"Thank you, Heiwajima," Vorona says, bowing, her respect getting the best of her in her flustered state. "I am thankful that you have provided me with a bed."

"Hey," Shizuo pats her back good naturedly, "we're equals now, there's no need for formalities. Besides, you'll make better use of my bed than I currently am."

Completely unprepared to deal with the implications of… everything, Vorona smiles and turns to Tom. "Shall I set up the table?"

"Yes please," he responds, "food is almost ready! Shizuo, you know where everything is."

"Do we even have enough plates?"

"You haven't broken that many, come on."

"You'd be surprised," Shizuo mutters in Vorona's direction, earning him a wide smile.

Sat around the coffee table, the talk is comfortable and the food everything Vorona dreamed of. Her home situation is pointedly avoided and she is grateful for it, but she knows she has missed much and prefers to keep the topic of conversation on the men's occupations.

"Same old for me," Tom shrugs, halfway into their bottles of beer. "The debt-collecting company is still going well, and I'm still making the rounds as usual."

"Speaking of which, Tom…" Vorona interjects. "I have yet to find a new employer and I do not wish to simply freeload here. If you could put in a good word for me…"

"Say no more! Shizuo has actually been fairly busy with his own work these days, so I could just use an extra pair of hands on most rounds."

Vorona quirks her eyebrows questioningly at Shizuo, who shrugs.

"I've been taken in by the Awakusu group. You remember Akane?"

Vorona smiles. "Yes, the child who attempted to kill you."

Shizuo laughs. "That's the one. Well, I've taken over her self-defense training. Her father said it was to avoid further influence from the Orihara siblings, but I think she also must've practically begged him, considering we've had our differences in the past. She's a fast learner and a nice kid, plus the pay isn't bad at all."

"I am glad things are going well for both of you," Vorona smiles into her beer. "I can only hope I will not be a burden to you both."

"As long as you give me that duel you promised me before you left, I promise you won't be a burden," Shizuo points out.

Vorona grins. "Deal."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Formatting might be a bit odd because I'm on mobile, will fix later if needed! Also unbeta'd this time.

Akane knew entering high school would be all about preparing for her adult life, but she didn't think it would involve having a packed schedule starting at 7 every day, six days a week. Sure, she's enjoying the literature club, she's making friends and the teachers like her. But she thought she would get more free time to actually go out and do regular teenage stuff. As it is, she spends her weekends keeping up with her homework, be it from school or from Heiwajima, who just will not let her take a day off from training despite not having lessons with her.

It's 6 p.m right now, which means the literature club is

just wrapping up their meeting.

"Okay guys, tomorrow we'll just have a casual day, reading and quiet discussion." Owari Tsugane, the club president, is standing up and smoothing out her uniform, indicating to the others that they are dismissed.

Despite being the club president, she is only a second year, having been the only member enthusiastic enough last year to want to take up the club again. Akane likes her, she's good at judging character and selecting members that fit in well with the rest of the group. She's the last one to leave the room, and Akane waits a bit for her outside the room.

"Hey Awakusu," Owari smiles, "did you want to talk?"

"I just wanted to walk to the station together, since we never manage to spend time together outside of school. Um. That is, if you're going to the same station as me," Akane blushes.

The president grins. "Sure thing! I'm pretty sure 70% of the school goes to the same neighborhood for night classes anyway, so there's a good chance we're heading the same way."

Akane smiles in relief, and follows her out of the building, keeping a steady stream of chatter, mostly about the club, and avoiding sensitive topics like parents all the way down the street and on the subway. Owari ends up having to get off the subway one station before Akane, so they wave each other goodbye as best as they can through the crowd, phone numbers exchanged.

It's not exactly the first friend Akane has made. There's Kiyoko and Hikari from her class, Hyojin from class 1-2 who she bumped into during P.E and who she's been practicing her Korean with in exchange for Japanese practice, and Makoto, one year ahead of her, the only one from her middle school that she was friends with to have gone to her high school and the only one she's been able to keep in touch with. Akane isnt looking to collect friends and be popular, but she also isn't particularly selective. If someone is particularly interesting to her, she'll go out of her way to make friends, but not often than not it happens the other way around.

Sadly, with a name like Awakusu in such a prestigious, private high school, it's not difficult for Akane's classmates to guess her heritage, and it doesn't necessarily make her approachable for some.

Of course, not everyone in school is involved with the underground or knows of Awakusu by name. Owari, for example is the daughter of a pharmaceutical CEO, and a surprisingly ethical one at that. Which says less about him than it does about the kind of people Akane is used to seeing around.

Either way, night classes are even more exclusive, which could mean even bigger underground names are in Akane's class, but everyone is too busy focusing (or at the very least trying not to fall asleep) to really pay attention to their classmates. Night classes are no place for socializing, and all that matters at the end of the day is your rank in the class.

Speaking of which, Akane's latest results have come in, and it looks like she's staying stable in ranking. To be honest, her results aren't incredibly impressive, but at least she's in the top half. She's lucky her parents aren't particularly tough concerning her grades either, as long as she can apply herself to the family business. Not that she's had much of a chance at that yet, but she knows the time is approaching.

A few hours of babbling English and applying math theorems later, Akane is finally free to go home. The professor calls her up to the desk before she can leave.  
"Awakusu, a word, please."

Akane sighs internally, an impressive feat when she so badly wants to sigh externally.

"I'm sure you know this already," the professor begins, "but your current level is only satisfactory. I expect a lot more of you, Awakusu, and I know you're capable of more."

She stops, waiting for Akane's reaction. Seeing only a poker face and knowing full well that her student is just waiting for this to be over, she presses: "I think working on your listening comprehension in particular would help boost your results."

Now that has an effect. Akane grimaces. She is very much aware of the fact that despite her excellent written expression and comprehension, her difficulties with oral comprehension are also impeding her oral expression to a certain extent.

The professor softens. "I know, I know. But you can definitely improve. I'm going to email you a podcast series, I want you to start listening to it during your commute, and really pay attention to the pronunciation and idioms."

Akane leaves the short meeting feeling even more worn down in anticipation of the extra mental work this represents. As she sits on the metro with her earbuds on, enjoying music for the last time on this ride, she lets her eyes close and allows herself to relax.

But soon enough, her minds turn to the weekend's schedule. Training with Heiwajima tomorrow morning. Lunch with her parents. Homework. Working out. More homework on Sunday. Literature club reading. More working out in the evening. Maybe, she muses, she can fit a nice long bath somewhere in there. Unlikely, but still a nice thought.

As she reaches home, she also considers the nightly hour of homework that awaits her and decides that eating quickly will be best. She makes a short detour by the closest convenience store to get a sandwich. No time to sit at a dinner table and deal with parents today. By now they've gotten used to it, and it's not like they don't know what she's up to at any given moments, despite no longer giving her bodyguards. They have inconspicuous eyes everywhere, but at least Akane appreciates them giving her space in their own way.

She eats her sandwich while working, and by the time she's done with the day's tasks, it's midnight. She stretches and heads to a well-deserved shower.

Throwing herself on her bed, finally in her pajamas, she opens her phone for one last check-in on messages. Sure enough, a notification tells her Heiwajima has sent her a text.

"Training tomorrow," it reads. "Don't forget."

Akane rolls her eyes and smiles, closing her phone. As if she's ever forgotten once in the year and a half since she started training with him.

She's about to turn of the lights for good when her phone buzzes again and she frowns seeing the name Heiwajima pop up again.

"Oh, and I'm bringing a surprise. Be ready."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Exposition chapters are done, on with the plot!
> 
> I'm trying to write longer chapters but it's just not my style I guess cause this is just as long as the last one, let me know what you think lol.


End file.
